Anyone can do it...

I do not count myself as some big innovator or doing art that is breaking new ground.  I do the art and jewelry I enjoy making, or I experiment with what I have.  Having limited space and resources, I can't do some of the things I'd like to, how I'd like to do them.  So, I find things I can do, simpler things - mostly in regards to my jewelry since I haven't been drawing or painting very much outside of what I'm doing for my class.

"Wood Elf" pencil on wood by Georgia Horesh

During my time doing conventions, I had people who would come up to my table, look at my work and say, "Oh, my cousin paints." or, "My nephew works at Disney." or "Well, my daughter draws."  Now, these comments come with no build up with conversation.  They look at my work and I smile and say hello and they smile back and then inform me that someone they know does art too...  Not a big deal except it all depends on how they say it.  Some people might just be trying to make conversation, and I usually would respond to, "Oh?  That's really great." Because, really, I don't know what else to say to them.  Sometimes I follow up with, "What type of work do they do?" because I'm trying to be polite and I'm curious as to what made the person inform me of their artistic relative.  They explain what those relatives do, (ie; watercolors, still life, cartoons.. what-have-you).  Sometimes though they say, "Oh, you know, stuff like this..." gestures at my work, "They're really very good."

Now, I don't pretend to know what all this is leading up to or what their intent is with the conversation.  Others might have better insight than I do though I am an excellent 'Devils' Advocate'.  All I know is, regardless of intent, I would end up feeling annoyed and belittled.  As if the person was saying to me, "Well, this person that I know can do this sort of work...  if someone I know can do this, anyone can do it... You aren't all that special."

Obviously, that may not be what they meant.  But that is how I felt.

At the table at the time, I would smile and manage some more conversation with the person and then that person would walk away.  I would never gain any insight as to what the purpose of the conversation was, but would always have that feeling like they were just saying it to feel... superior in some way.  I was younger, granted and not sure of myself or my skills so I look back at it all with a an attempted grain of salt. 

Now, working on jewelry and coming up with different ideas of how to make things, I find different challenges - mostly monetarily.  Buying supplies for jewelry isn't cheap, even if you can manage to get things wholesale.  I look around and see what I can use, see what projects might work while keeping costs as low as possible to make them - in fact, till recently, I had abstained from doing new work because I'd have to buy new supplies.  Its hard because I felt the itch to make things, but couldn't afford to do it.

So, when I post something and people comment that they like it, I do get warm fuzzies.  It makes me happy.  The same happy it made me when people came up to my table at conventions and looked at my work and smiled, or oohed and aahed, or called friends over to see a print.  It made it worth it to put my work out there.  Yes, I won't lie, selling my prints and work was great, but it was made better when people expressed how much they loved the work, or how it made them smile.  Even when a group of deaf and mute people came by my table at a show once - I remember because they gestured for their friends to come over and signed excitedly.  And no, they didn't buy anything and that was ok because the smiles on their faces communicated to me, all that they needed to say.

On the other hand, when people post, "Oh, that's easy to make.  Just go to the store and pick up a few things and you can make it yourself." or, "I could make that." the old feelings reappear.  Again, let me assure you that I do know that the intent is not to hurt my feelings or say something negative!  They might actually be saying, "Oh! That's not a complicated piece so even I could make it!" in an positive and excited way.

But the old ghost comes a spooking...  And I feel deflated, as if they are saying my work isn't all that great... after all.... Anyone can do it. 

That's when I have to do something that's really hard.  I have to remember that I am me...  I do what work I do as it comes to mind because that's what inspiration is.  Sometimes I can't follow through because I don't have what I need to make the art happen and the idea will flutter away or it will stay, waiting till I can create it, but I have to follow what my internal muse whispers to me.  There will be times I make something complicated and other times when I make something simple.  There will be things that I make that are beautiful and things that, yes, are ugly.  And some things that people wouldn't be able to create and yeah, things anyone can do...

And I have to remember that even though anyone can do it... not everyone does and they certainly can't do things the way I do because they don't see the world through my eyes: And that's what makes me special.